Human Resources Business Partner

Please note that references provided at the time of application for staff positions will not be contacted until the applicant has been offered the position. 

The HR Business Partner is responsible for implementing effective and consistent delivery of Human Resources programs and services to their organizational partners. This position provides high level services in the areas of employee relations, performance management, talent acquisition and management, compensation/benefits, diversity initiatives, legal compliance and risk management etc. The position will grow strategic relationships with functional/operational leaders through coaching, consultation, influence and problem solving to successfully execute organizational goals.  

• Business Partnership/Employee Relations- Operate as a business partner with client groups. Provide advice in Employee Relations and in handling employee activities, concerns, and complaints.

• Talent Acquisition and Management – Coordinate with the division to develop an effective and efficient recruiting process, attracting, selecting, training, developing, promoting, and maintaining high-potential employees.  Be a leader in diversity initiatives and successes. 
• Position Management - Processing of position management requirements in HRIS systems including hiring, job change, compensation and other system-required updates.   
• Performance Management and Organizational Development – Effectively implement the performance management process to drive continuous improvement, as well as employee development and growth.
• Training & Development – Based on feedback from departments initiate training and development plans based on current needs, succession planning and employee career/development plans.
• Subject Matter Expert Support – Employee Relations – Each member of the HR team will be expected to become a subject matter expert on several HR-related tasks and responsibilities.  This would include answering department questions, vendor coordination, training co-workers, establishing and documenting procedures and spokesperson to outside entities.   
• HR project team member- Each member of the HR team will be assigned to participate in team projects based on College wide needs or requests.  

Education required to ensure success in this position:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or in a related field;

• Minimum of 3+ years of HR generalist experience. Experience in higher education a plus
• Experience with employee relations matters 

• Knowledge of federal/ state/local employment laws/regulations relating to EEOC, Unemployment Insurance, Employee Relations: conflict resolution, problem solving, counseling, facilitation, Partnership skills: coaching, influencing, problem solving, consulting, Business skills: business writing, computer/information systems, presentation skills, Position management in ERP

• Willing to become PHR and/or SHRM-CP certified

• Ability to navigate campus/public buildings and grounds

• Professional office environment with interruptions and noise due to frequent visitors, students, staff and faculty
• Occasional travel required for meetings, conferences, etc. 

• Standard Office Equipment: computer, fax, phone, etc.

Founded in 1855, Berea College is nationally recognized as the first coeducational and interracial college in the South. Berea has a longstanding commitment to interracial education and is one of the most racially diverse private liberal arts colleges in the United States. With an emphasis on service to Appalachia and beyond, Berea enrolls more than 1,500 students from 46 states and U.S. territories and more than 70 countries. Berea College admits students who are unable to afford tuition and provides all of them with a no-tuition promise, valued at more than $204,000. Berea’s students excel in the College’s supportive yet demanding academic environment, and most are the first in their families to attend college. As one of only nine federally recognized Work Colleges, all Berea students are expected to work 10-12 hours weekly in various positions across campus. Berea College is listed #20 in overall ranking in the U.S. by the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse college rankings, 2023. The Washington Monthly ranks Berea College #2 Best Liberal Arts College and #1 in Social Mobility, 2023. Money Magazine ranks Berea #20 Best Overall College and #10 for Best in the South, 2023. Berea College is also the only institution in Kentucky to receive the 5-Star Rating from Money Magazine, 2023.

Located where the Bluegrass Region meets the Cumberland Mountains, the town of Berea (pop. 16,000) lies forty miles south of Lexington and is approximately two hours from Cincinnati, Louisville, and Knoxville. More information about Berea College is available at www.berea.edu.

Berea College, in light of its mission in the tradition of impartial love and social equality, welcomes all people of the earth to learn and work here.

 

Berea College is always looking for talented, self-motivated individuals to join our team. If you think you are ready to be a part of an exciting team, then we encourage you to continue with this applicant friendly, online job application! 
 

Berea College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.